University of Wisconsin President Ray Cross on Tuesday asked the Legislature's budget-writing committee to approve a new public authority for the UW System, a "dedicated and stable funding stream" and to reduce the governor's proposed $300 million budget cut over the next two years.

Shortly after he finished his testimony, a handful of protesters burst into the room shouting, "No cuts, no deals." Followed by four Capitol police officers, the protesters marched past the table where Cross was sitting to give testimony before the Joint Committee on Finance.

If Park Bank is liable for not spotting Sujata "Sue" Sachdeva's $34 million embezzlement from Koss Corp. and has to reimburse the company, Koss Chief Executive Michael Koss should also be ordered to pull out his personal checkbook and pay the public company he runs, the bank argues in a new lawsuit.

Grant Thornton, Koss Corp.'s former auditor, should also have to pay a portion of any court award that may be ordered, Park Bank argued in the latest twist in a long-running court fight stemming from Sachdeva's massive embezzlement.

"Park Bank denies any and all liability to Koss in this case," Park Bank wrote in its action. "Nevertheless, should Park Bank be found liable to Koss (Corp.) and required to pay damages to Koss, in this case, those damages will have been the result of a common liability of Park Bank, Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, thereby entitling Park Bank to (a) contribution from Michael Koss and Grant Thornton."(3)

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FDA commissioner revokes Avastin approval for breast cancer patients

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg announced Friday she is revoking the agency's approval of Avastin, the bestselling cancer drug in the world, for use by breast cancer patients after concluding the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

Avastin will still remain on the market as an approved treatment for certain types of colon, lung, kidney and brain cancer, Hamburg said.

"FDA recognizes how hard it is for patients and their families to cope with metastatic breast cancer and how great a need there is for more effective treatments," Hamburg said in a prepared statement. "But patients must have confidence that the drugs they take are both safe and effective for their intended use."

Hamburg said that after reviewing available studies: "It's clear that women who take Avastin for metastatic breast cancer risk potentially life-threatening side effects without proof that the use of Avastin will provide a benefit, in terms of delay in tumor growth, that would justify those risks. Nor is there evidence that use of Avastin will either help them live longer or improve their quality of life."

Avastin's risks include severe high blood pressure; bleeding and hemorrhaging; heart attack or heart failure; and the development of perforations in different parts of the body such as the nose, stomach and intestines.

Hamburg's decision, outlined in a 69-page opinion, involves Avastin used in combination with the cancer drug paclitaxel for patients who have not been treated with chemotherapy for their form of metastatic breast cancer known as HER2 negative. This use of the drug must now be removed from Avastin's product labeling.

Avastin was approved for metastatic breast cancer in February 2008 under the FDA's accelerated approval program. That program allows a drug to be approved based on data that are not sufficiently complete to permit full approval, allowing earlier patient access to promising new drugs while clinical trials are conducted.

If the clinical trials do not justify the continued approval of the drug or a specific drug indication, the agency may revoke its approval, as happened in this case.

About Karen Herzog

Karen Herzog covers higher education. She also has covered public health and was part of a national award-winning team that took on Milwaukee's infant mortality crisis.